Man, there was so, so much ball-watching and flat-footed defending there. It looks like Elanga going off has deflated the rest of the team, and they just allowed Leicester to score the 4th goal.
Leicester v United u23 - debut for Diallo?
- Thread starter lysglimt
- Start date
Wonder who Mengi will shame on Twitter for his own inept performance this time
Easily a pen
He’s been complete crap hasn’t he. Doesn’t even looked bothered to attempt to close down an opponent.And I swear I’ve never heard them mock the ref so much. Thornley is just letting loose with the jibes.
Looks like Leicester brought their own ref.
I can’t watch our youth games. Can someone here tell how far in terms of level Hannibal is compared with 18-year old Guendouzi?
And I swear I’ve never heard them mock the ref so much. Thornley is just letting loose with the jibes.
Mengi has been among our worst players this season - last year he was really looking good, and I excepted him to make a push towards the first-team in 12-18 months. Today he is lucky to be playing at U23-level, because he doesn't deserve to be there.
He really does look demotivated. It's as if the taste of first-team football last season has made him expect something more, and when he hasn't gotten that much first-team football, he's basically been coasting in the U23 matches. He's just making it tougher for himself to find suitors for loans.
Wonder if the praise for Mengi being so composed last year was just misplaced and hes really just incredibly laid back and/or lazy?
Haven`t seen this game but seems like we can`t defend well to save our lives this season. Seeing now we have conceded 32 goals so far, in 12 games? That is awful if true.
Good game from Hannibal, or well up to the Elanga injury anyway we kind of fell apart after that. Much more like it. Needs to start putting those performances in week in week out.
Elanga also good, as was Levitt. Shout out to Harvey Neville who had a solid game as well and got forward well.
Shoretire still invisible and Hugill was quiet too.
Expect news to come out shortly of Ben Thornley decking the ref in the parking lot.
Elanga also good, as was Levitt. Shout out to Harvey Neville who had a solid game as well and got forward well.
Shoretire still invisible and Hugill was quiet too.
Expect news to come out shortly of Ben Thornley decking the ref in the parking lot.
I can buy that results are not so important, but our defensive play really starts to get embarrassing. Elanga is by far our most important player. He gives the team something different. The minute he went off, I knew the game was lost. Shoretire gets a free pass as always, really poor again and not ready to play so much. Mengi, you can't explain it. Kovar? Levitt? I don't want to make drastic conclusions, but it's kind of worrying that some of them seem to have regressed. Hopefully, it's just temporary. I thought Elanga and Hannibal were really good. Hopefully not too serious with Anthony.
Hannibal, he is special talent him and shotire the rest I can't see it
We missed Elanga when he went off because his pace is a great outlet. But if he's out for a length of time then I'm presuming someone like Emeran will come into the squad to provide a balance that will be missing with Elanga being out.
No he genuinely was excellent last season - now he really looks bad
This is what I'm thinking too and it's affected his performances and he's even lashed out at a team mate on social media in frustration due to his performance.
But having said that he's a young lad that's most likely going through a bad patch of form and he'll hopefully come good soon.
At the start of the season, he looked to be a contender for the first team, while at the moment, he has a mountain to climb. That might have done something to his motivation.
Are you just comparing them because of their hair?
There's a difference between being composed on the ball when a player is going to try and nick it off you, which is what he has and continued to show... And composure in defensive situations. Like he wasnt in the 2nd half for example when he tried to bring the ball down and clear it a couple of times then had to hook the ball out for a corner iirc. Theres loads of players who are composed when they have the ball but panic when they need to deal with a situation defensively. Defensively he and Fish look like they have a decent amount to improve at reserve level
My takeaways from the game:
1. Hannibal United´s best player.
2. The pundits found the perfect word to describe the ref: "Nightmare".
3. Lection 1: The principle of positional rotation does NOT apply to goalkeepers. Kovar, are you listening?
4. Pellistri still out with Covid-19? Very much missed.
1. Hannibal United´s best player.
2. The pundits found the perfect word to describe the ref: "Nightmare".
3. Lection 1: The principle of positional rotation does NOT apply to goalkeepers. Kovar, are you listening?
4. Pellistri still out with Covid-19? Very much missed.
Definitely not due to hair style but playing style.
they all like carrying and driving the ball across the field, and have fun to run.
I know he's very young for this age group, but I really don't see it with Shoretire. Clearly got talent, but I don't feel like he's ready for this level yet. I'm yet to be convinced he should be starting the amount he does.
one thing he will benefit from is to get the chance to figure out how to cope with the physical size of games and big physical players. Remember McT learned a lot all those years until he suddenly rose up like rocket launching.
He's only 16; still a boy in a man's game. Hopefully he grows into it
Hes near the end of quarantine phase. I just hope he is okay and can bounce back quickly. Crazy bad timing as he was possibly getting minutes vs Watford.
We have lost Laird, Ercolani and Bejger (Probably soon) in the last few days therefore we are of course short in the defence but if Puigmal and Fernandez are available again then we should change the system to 3-5-2 for at least a couple of matches to get back the stability in the defence.
That's kind of my point. It's all good being 16 playing well above your age group, but you've gotta really show something to keep getting games, which I don't think he really has. Seems like he should be with the 18s for at least another season.
Also agree, but I don't see the rush with him.
Thats true given Gasperini thought he had nothing to lose by dropping him. True, he's been training all season we assume and so we should expect a reasonable base level of fitness; not match fitness though, which is key. He's made no starts and two sub appearances this season, three sub appearances last season. Total competitive football 5 min, 6 min, 13 min, 13 min, 22 min in a year and a half. So less than an hour of football in total.
The question for me is ; how many youth/reserves/U23 games did he play during this last 18 month , anyone have access to that?
I don't know how many games he's played at youth level in the last 18 months. But I'm gonna assume his fitness levels are at a good level hence Ole keeping him with the first team squad. His match sharpness is likely not there which is normal but the most interesting thing for me is how he does once he gets a chance on the pitch at first team level. He's never started a game at senior level so I'm sure there'll be bumps in the road which again is normal for such a young player.
Italy doesn’t have reserves/u23s. He last played for the u19s in March. The primavera has largely been suspended since then but he didn’t feature in the few games they have had since then. He featured regularly for the u19s most of the 19/20 season before the March cancellation.
Only if they go on loan.
Where was Puigmal?
I saw that Mejbri now has 6 assists which is the highest in our U23 team along with his 2 goals. It would be interesting to see how the club develop him going forward
Maybe a Spain travel thing? I noticed that there were few foreign players involved who have been "home" during Christmas.
Could understand if he had ripped it up with 18s but when has that happened? Strange at times how coaches seem to be forced to move boys up age groups who clearly aren't ready as if there's some race against time. Can only assume its pressure from agents.
Right. Time is on his side cause he is only 16. What really matters to him is to crack the secret of games through those games and trainings. Of course, it is more or less on one’s talent and internal drive. We don’t know if and when he can achieve it. Pro football is an elite competition. No one knows what could happen eventually on any individual. Really tough.
True but you need to be having some kind of impact in the game which I didn't see in 18s games last year either through goals or assists. Think he scored a couple of goals in around 18 games. This season it's 2 in 13. It's hardly setting the world on fire as an attacking player.
Haha that was my assumption as well. But to be fair, I think they are fairly similar players. Guendouzi is apparently a bit of a prick but he is a very good all-around center-mid.
Hope this poor output does not affect him mentally in a negative way.
Yeah! In some sense, they are kinda like the young Matic could do. Able to cover every area of the pitch in a game with or without ball, because they can keep running with or without ball. Running nonstop seems such a natural thing for them.